The State government scheme to provide two milch animals, either cow or buffalo, to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has seen more applications rejected than sanctions given in the past five years, the CAG report said. It attributed lack of funds, delay in distribution of milch animals, purchase of over-aged cows and lack of public awareness about the scheme as reasons.
The scheme had introduced in November 2011 by the State Animal Husbandry Department for beneficiaries belonging to SC under the Special Component Plan (SCP) and ST under the Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) and Other Tribal Sub-Plan (OTSP) to create sources of income through self-employment.
The CAG said though 8,455 valid applications were received between 2011 and 2016, benefits under the scheme were given to only 2,372 (28%) applicants as per availability of funds. The report said demands for fund were placed without considering the actual number of valid applications received. “In Gadchiroli and Chandrapur districts (tribal dominated) tribals were kept out of the ambit of the scheme as district authorities failed to demand funds for implementing it. Delay in receipt of funds, beneficiary selection process and distribution of funds resulted in delay of four to eleven months in the purchase and distribution of animals.”
It said despite guidelines stipulating the desirable age of cows at purchase as between three-and-a-half and four-and-a-half years, 43% of cows purchased between five and seven years old. “Thus over-aged animals with declining lactating ability were purchased,” the report said.
